Anthurium plant named ‘Peppermint Gemini’

ABSTRACT

A distinct cultivar of Anthurium plant named ‘Peppermint Gemini’, characterized by its upright and outwardly spreading plant habit; shiny dark green leaves; pink and white mottled spathes with white and yellow spadices; inflorescences that are positioned above and beyond the foliage on strong and erect scapes; and excellent inflorescence longevity.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Aglaonema×hybrid cultivarPeppermint Gemini.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofAnthurium plant, botanically known as Anthurium×hybrid, and hereinafterreferred to by the name ‘Peppermint Gemini’.

The new Anthurium is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of theAnthurium×hybrid cultivar White Gemini, U.S. Plant Patent applicationfiled concurrently with this application. The new Anthurium wasdiscovered by the Inventors in a controlled environment in Princeton,Fla., as a single plant within a group of tissue culture-derived plantsof ‘White Gemini’ in October, 2000. The selection of this plant wasbased on its white and pink mottled spathes.

Asexual propagation of the new cultivar by meristem culture in acontrolled environment in Sebring, Fla., since spring, 2000, has shownthat the unique features of this new Anthurium plant are stable andreproduced true to type in successive generations of asexualpropagation.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new Anthurium has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations inenvironment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without,however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of the cultivar Peppermint Gemini. Thesecharacteristics in combination distinguish ‘Peppermint Gemini’ as a newand distinct cultivar:

1. Upright and outwardly spreading plant habit.

2. Shiny dark green leaves.

3. Pink and white mottled spathes with white and yellow spadices.

4. Inflorescences that are positioned above and beyond the foliage onstrong and erect scapes.

5. Excellent inflorescence longevity.

Plants of the new Anthurium differ from plants of the cultivar WhiteGemini primarily in spathe coloration as plants of the cultivar WhiteGemini have white-colored spathes.

Plants of the new Anthurium can be compared to plants of the cultivarGemini, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,043. In side-by-sidecomparisons conducted in Sebring, Fla., plants of the new Anthuriumdiffered from plants of the cultivar Gemini primarily in spathecoloration as plants of the cultivar Gemini had solid pink-coloredspathes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new Anthurium, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Anthurium. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of atypical flowering plant of the cultivar Peppermint Gemini grown in acontainer.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and the following observations andmeasurements describe 11-month old plants grown in containers inHomestead, Fla., in a polypropylene-covered shadehouse with daytemperatures of 21 to 32° C., night temperatures of 18 to 24° C., andlight levels about 1,500 foot-candles.

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used.

Botanical classification: Anthurium andreanum cultivar PeppermintGemini.

Parentage:

Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of Anthurium×hybrid cultivarWhite Gemini, U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 10/171,948 filedconcurrently with this application.

Propagation:

Method.—By meristem culture.

Time to initiate roots on a meristem-cultured plant.—About 10 days atday temperatures of 21 to 32° C. and night temperatures of 18 to 24° C.

Time to develop roots on a meristem-cultured plant.—About 147 days atday temperatures of 21 to 32° C. and night temperatures of 18 to 24° C.

Root description.—Strong fleshy roots with fine lateral roots; root tip,145B in color.

Plant description:

Plant shape.—Upright and outwardly spreading plant habit, invertedtriangle, symmetrical.

Growth habit.—Freely clumping, bushy and dense growth habit.

Plant height.—About 20 to 26 cm.

Plant diameter or spread.—About 40 to 50 cm.

Crop time.—About 11 months are usually required from planting of youngplants to finished flowering plants in a 15-cm container.

Foliage description.—Length: About 18 to 20 cm. Width: About 9 to 10.5cm. Shape: Ovate to broadly lanceolate. Apex: Acute, tapered. Base:Obtuse to truncate; base has two rounded lobes that do not extend pastthe petiole junction. Margin: Entire; slightly undulate. Texture:Leathery; glabrous. Venation: Midvein with well-defined primary veinsradiating out from the petiole junction. Midvein protrudes from theupper surface for about 75% of the leaf length. Primary veins are sunkenon the upper surface and protrude on the lower surface. Petiole: Length:About 10 to 11.1 cm. Diameter, just below the geniculum: About 4 mm.Geniculum: Length: About 3 cm. Diameter: About 4.5 mm. Orientation:Curved or bent. Petiole sheath: Length: About 1 cm. Width, at midpoint:About 5 mm. Distance from apex of petiole sheath to base of geniculum:About 8 to 9.5 cm. Apex: Rounded. Cataphyll: New leaves emerge from acataphyll which turns brown, 200C, with subsequent development andeventually abscises. Length: About 7 to 11 cm. Width, at base: About 2to 2.5 cm. Shape: Triangular. Apex: Apiculate. Margin: Entire. Texture,upper and lower surfaces: Smooth. Color: Upper leaf surface: Closest to,but much darker and more green than 147A. Lower leaf surface: 146B.Midrib, upper surface: 146B. Midrib, lower surface: 145A. Petiole: 144Ato 146B. Geniculum: 146B to 146C. Petiole sheath: 144A to 146C.Cataphyll, upper surface: 145C to 145D. Cataphyll, lower surface: 146D;glossy.

Inflorescence description:

Inflorescence arrangement.—When developing, the spathe is tightly rolledaround the spadix and emerges from the petiole sheath. The spathe isfully opened approximately when the peduncle is fully elongated. Spatheswith spadices held above and beyond the foliage on straight wirypeduncles and open vertically. Inflorescences are typically grouped inthe center of the plant. Freely and continuous flowering year-round;about 6 open inflorescences and about 3 flower buds per plant at onetime.

Inflorescence longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color andsubstance on the plant for about 8 weeks. As cut flowers, inflorescencesmaintain good color and substance for about 2 to 3 weeks. Inflorescencespersistent.

Time to flower.—First flowers develop about 7 months after planting20-week old rooted plants.

Spathe.—Length: About 6 to 7 cm. Width: About 4 to 5.2 cm. Shape: Ovate.Apex: Cuspidate, hooked upward. Base: Cordate to truncate. Margin:Entire. Texture: Leathery; glabrous. Aspect: Initially cupped,flattening with development. Color: Fully opened, front surface: White,155D, and pink, 53C to 53D and 54C, mottled. Fully opened, back surface:White, 155D, and pink, 54C and 53D, mottled. Faded, front surface:White, 155D, and pink, 53B and 54C, mottled with random green, 144A,spots. Faded, back surface: White, 155D, and pink, 184B, mottled withrandom green, 144A, spots.

Spadix.—Length: About 3.3 to 4.3 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm. Shape:Columnar. Cross section: Rounded. Longitudinal axis: Erect. Color: Whenthe spathe unrolls, the spadix is lighter than but closest to 159D,becoming 6D at the apex. The spadix becomes yellow, 160A, and green,146B, mottled with development.

Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Anthers and filaments are minute andnot clearly visible. Pollen color: White, close to 155D. Gynoecium:Pistils are translucent white and protrude between the staminate flowersand extend about 0.5 mm beyond the stamens.

Scape.—Length: About 35 to 40 cm. Aspect: Strong and erect, wiry. Color:144A to 146B.

Seed/fruit.—Seed/fruit development on plants of the new Anthurium hasnot been observed.

Disease/pest resistance: Under commercial conditions, plants of the newAnthurium have not been observed to be resistant to pathogens or pestscommon to Anthurium.

Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Anthurium have been observed tobe tolerant to temperatures ranging from 7 to 40° C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Anthurium plant named‘Peppermint Gemini’, as illustrated and described.